Abstract
Purpose :
Babesiosis is a globally emerging tick-borne disease that is caused by Babesia spp., a parasite that infects red blood cells. Prior case reports and animal studies have reported on potential ophthalmoloigc complications of babesiosis, but this issue has not previously been addressed in a corhort of patients with babesiosis. This prospective pilot study evaluated the retinas of patients with acute babesiosis to determine if retinal abnormalitites are a feature of the disease.
Methods :
We screened all patients admitted to Yale New Haven Hospital with laboratory confirmed babesiosis during the summer of 2023 and obtained informed consent to participate in the study. Patients were interviewed and underwent pupil dilation and a retinal exam using an indirect ophthalmoscope. Demographic and clinical information were obtained by questionnaire and through chart review.
Results :
Ten patients underwent retinal eye exams with results that were generally unremarkable. No study patients showed any signs of retinal inflammation, infection, retinal bleeding, retinal tears, or abnormal vessel formation that could be attributed to infection.
Conclusions :
This small study did not find evidence of retinopathy in patients with babesiosis. Further studies with larger populations, repeated exams, and long term follow up will further elucidate the potential small vessel complications of human babesiosis.
This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.